Born in Tucson, AZ, in the Sonoran Desert, the only place in the world where saguaro cactus are native. The mountains turn blue and purple, and the sunsets are phenomenal.

Graduated from Canyon del Oro High School in Oro Valley, AZ, class of 1990. We will rock you. And yes, our mascot was (and still proud to say–is) the Dorado. It’s a kind of indian, like the legend of El Dorado, which unfortunately in Kansas they say “El Door A Doe.”

Graduated from University of Arizona with a degree in Biochemistry, and briefly worked in a plant sciences lab. I met my husband there (still married, BTW) and had a lot of fun! I learned some stuff, too, mostly about what I didn’t want to be. It’s worth mentioning that most of the tuition for this school goes to keeping this amount of grass green in the AZ heat and sun, but the mall was a great place to play ball or Frisbee, see the occasional nude activist, go to Spring Fling, and hang out to study when it was below ninety degrees outside.

Had three kids, many wild adventures, and learned a lot along the way. First, duck and cover. Second, always have as many plans as there are letters in the alphabet. Third, never stop learning from every person you meet, including your children who seem to become new people on a regular basis.

Hi Heather!
We met at the SCBWI conference last week. I just wanted to let you know how much your encouragement inspired me. I truly appreciate your kindness and your help. I am still traveling in Kansas and visiting some more zoos, but I will be in touch with you when I return.
Thanks again,
Lori Pratt